A relationship is a relationship. Be it family, romance or a relationship with an organisation. What matters is irrespective of the nature the basic principles remain the same and they are trust, loyalty and commitment.
Rre Sidney Pilane you resigned from the Botswana Movement for Democracy not long after you had lost your contest for the presidency of the BMD against Gomolemo Motswaledi and there was nothing absolutely wrong with your decision because it is within your constitutional and democratic rights to have taken such a decision. But what would be wrong is your invisible hand in the goings on within the BMD. I underline the word ‘would’ because I don’t believe you are by some remote control meddling and trying to influence a particular trajectory in the internal politics of the BMD.
The reason why I am saying would is because there has been a lot of hullabaloo about your remote involvement in the affairs of the BMD internal politics to which I personally came across a response from you to such allegations via social media.
I will confess my gratitude and satisfaction that you have set the record straight in that you are very distant form politics more especially those of the BMD and focused in what you do best; legal practice. I respect that and know with utmost conviction your excellent execution in that field thus the reason why some of us remain thunderstruck as how on earth you failed to be appointed Judge.
In your article of the Sunday Standard of 07/06/2015 you indicate that you had no dealings with the pathologist who was instructed by the UDC to investigate the cause Gomolemo Motswaledi’s death. I want to correct that Rre Pilane. You did have dealings with that pathologist because though I do not have evidence to that but after our meeting with the pathologist that sunday night of 03/08/2014 at or around 2200 hrs the pathologist informed us that he was spending the night at your residence and was actually driven to your place of residence by one of our lawyers (name withheld). If that was not being involved with the pathologist then I leave that verdict to the public. But for all I know Rre Pilane the pathologist was driven to your place of residence having fully assured us that he is spending the night at your place. Whether you after that drove him again to another place is a discussion for another day.
We in the Umbrella for Democratic Change live very cautious lives and are very conscious of possible and potential intrusions by our adversaries being the Botswana Democratic Party. UDC and BDP are vying for one thing and it is to govern this country. The playing field though is not level since the BDP is far more well resourced than we are and we don’t take kindly to this uneven-handed competition more especially because we are being competed against with resources that belong to us too.
If I were you I would stay away from the BMD and I will explain why. Just as you put it in your response on the sunday standard of 07/06/2015 that you have been wrongly accused of acting on behalf of the DIS, we do not want you to be a scapegoat should anything happen to the BMD. Should anything happen to Ndaba Gaolathe and let us hypothetically say a leadership vacuum exists, we don’t want to point a finger at that being masterminded by some forces so as to create a vacancy for you. I am saying this because rumours are flying around that your return to the BMD is being chestrated somewhere somehow and that the sole intention of that orchestration is to prepare you to challenge Ndaba Gaolathe for the BMD presidency come 2017.
We are a democratic organisation and we will continue to be one but we will not overplay our democracy to the extent of allowing people whom our trust of their allegiance is not absolute. You have not denied your association with Rre Issac Kgosi and on a professional basis as it may be it does not sit well with some of us.In simple terms it dents our trust in as far as your allegiance is concerned and absurd as it may appear that is the reality of how we perceive things in the world of opposition. We will not accept anything that is associated with the DIS or the BDP and trust is fundamental. Anybody else within the BMD is entitled to contest any position and Ndaba Gaolathe’s presidency is no exception. I am mentioning this even though you and I believe that all these allegations of you planning a comeback are just nonsensical allegations.
After the demise of Gomolemo Motswaledi some candidate (name withheld) was endorsed by the party ahead of Phenyo Butale. Some of us did not have absolute trust in him and we fought so hard that Phenyo Butale ended up getting the nod. History as it always does has vindicated us since the true colours of that person have been unveiled just four months after the october elections. That is how on point our instincts always are.
I am not BMD and neither am I UDC but believe me,there are multitudes out there who share my sentiment and of cause I write this not on behalf of the BMD but in my personal capacity. So long Advocate so long big brother. Remember this is not personal but just business.
*Kgoroba is Member of Parliament for Mogoditshane; he writes in his personal capacity
